Eunoia Tattoo Studio opens up in St Helens town centre

Frances Barton, who is originally from Wigan but now lives in St Helens town centre, has worked as a tattoo artist in St Helens for the last four years.

Building her client base at Skin Kandy, on Westfield Street, Frances went on to co-own Old Times Collective, on Barrow Street, with three friends.

Frances has worked as a tattoo artist for four years in St Helens

As an empty premises opened up on College Street, Frances felt this was the perfect opportunity to go solo and create a space that can merge her tattooing career with her burgeoning passion for pottery.

Frances, 27, said: "I've been interested in art my whole life and always wanted to have a creative career.

"Tattooing is something that I've always wanted to do but obviously during lockdown I couldn't tattoo, so I took up pottery to fulfil my creative drive."

Frances' pottery creations

Starting with trinket bowls, ceramics, and small accessories, the 27-year-old found a passion for the activity and her creations were picked up from her social media accounts and featured in national magazines, House & Garden and Vanity Fair.

Describing Eunoia as an "open and calm" space, she hopes to build the business as a "hybrid studio" where she can continue to tattoo as well as having the space to create pottery designs and offer courses to the public.

Frances' pottery has featured in House & Garden magazine

Describing the decision to open the business, Frances added: "It has been a very difficult time during Covid and tattoo artists had a lot of difficulties seeing clients.

"But I think because of all this struggle, I came to accept it as a new normal and just went for it.

"Once I thought about the possibility of opening my own business, I just had to do whatever I could to make it happen."